Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited’s advisory issued for its consumers to remain vigilant against certain gangs operating in Srinagar city and outskirts offering services to tamper smart meters without being caught should be taken as very seriously because the meters installed so far are tamper-proof and any attempt to do the same could land the consumers into deep trouble as such actions are illegal as well as risky.
The concerned authorities have taken the right path by asking people to remain cautious against any such offer but it was also required to rope in cops to teach a lesson to the criminals trapping the gullible power consumers, as at times, people could be misled or swayed by bogus assurances of curtailing their electricity bills by manipulating power meters. It is also necessary that JPDCL should also remain alert to disallow unscrupulous elements from cheating the people in Jammu region. It is advisable that both KPDCL and JPDCL should work in tandem to improve the power scenario in J&K and stop unprincipled consumers and aforesaid criminals from breaching the system and indulging in power theft or other ways to cheat the government. Reportedly, KPDCL’s central inspection squad has recently caught several consumers with tampered smart meters and during investigation the power consumers have divulged names of entities involved in this gamut to deceive the innocent people on pretext of manipulating their smart meters without being caught.
The people should know the fact that no tampering is foolproof and the system interfaced with the smart meters easily detects fiddling with their internal circuitry thus exposing attempts by the consumer to show reduction in consumption. As of now, the tampered meters have been confiscated and the corporation is pursuing efforts to charge the bills accordingly. In some cases, FIRs have also been registered which will be followed by legal action under norms. As the smart meters have been installed on the poles therefore tampering with these devices by coming into physical contact is risky also besides being illegal. The people should adopt the alternative of consuming lesser units of power by judiciously using the same and should not indulge in such illegal and unethical activities which are also dangerous.
